Machinery & Machine Guarding
WHAT IS MACHINE ?
A machine is a piece of equipment which
uses electricity or an engine in order to do a
particular kind of work.
WHAT IS MACHINE GUARDING?
Machine guards are the primary line of defence
between workers and their machines and it is
essential that they be in place and properly secured
during operation in order to prevent workplace
accidents and injuries. Typically, guards are seen
on machines like saws, or any other reciprocating
tool.
BASICS OF MACHINE SAFEGUARDING
Crushed hands and arms, severed fingers, blindness -- the list of
possible machinery-related injuries is as long as it is horrifying.
There seem to be as many hazards created by moving machine
parts as there are types of machines. Safeguards are essential for
protecting workers from needless and preventable injuries.
A good rule to remember is: Any machine part, function, or process
which many cause injury must be safeguarded. When the operation
of a machine or accidental contact with it can injure the operator or
others in the vicinity, the hazards must be either controlled or
eliminated.
Where Mechanical Hazards Occur
Dangerous moving parts in three basic areas require safeguarding:
The point of operation: that point where work is performed on the
material, such as cutting, shaping, boring, or forming of stock.
Power transmission apparatus: all components of the mechanical
system which transmit energy to the part of the machine performing
the work. These components include flywheels, pulleys, belts,
connecting rods, couplings, cams, spindles, chains, cranks, and gears.
Other moving parts: all parts of the machine which move while the
machine is working. These can include reciprocating, rotating, and
transverse moving parts, as well as feed mechanisms and auxiliary
parts of the machine.
Requirements for Safeguards
What must a safeguard do to protect workers against mechanical
hazards? Safeguards must meet these minimum general requirements:
Prevent contact: The safeguard must prevent hands, arms, and any other
part of a worker's body from making contact with dangerous moving parts.
A good safeguarding system eliminates the possibility of the operator or
another worker placing parts of their bodies near hazardous moving parts.
Secure: Workers should not be able to easily remove or tamper with the
safeguard, because a safeguard that can easily be made ineffective is no
safeguard at all. Guards and safety devices should be made of durable
material that will withstand the conditions of normal use. They must be
firmly secured to the machine.
Requirements for Safeguards
Protect from falling objects: The safeguard should ensure that no
objects can fall into moving parts. A small tool which is dropped into
a cycling machine could easily become a projectile that could strike
and injure someone.
Create no new hazards: A safeguard defeats its own purpose if it
creates a hazard of its own such as a shear point, a jagged edge, or
an unfinished surface which can cause a laceration. The edges of
guards, for instance, should be rolled or bolted in such a way that
they eliminate sharp edges.
Requirements for Safeguards
Create no interference: Any safeguard which impedes a worker from
performing the job quickly and comfortably might soon be
overridden or disregarded. Proper safeguarding can actually
enhance efficiency since it can relieve the worker's apprehensions
about injury.
Allow safe lubrication: If possible, one should be able to lubricate
the machine without removing the safeguards. Locating oil
reservoirs outside the guard, with a line leading to the lubrication
point, will reduce the need for the operator or maintenance worker
to enter the hazardous area.
Requirements for Safeguards
Non Mechanical Hazards:
While this manual concentrates attention on concepts and
techniques for safeguarding mechanical motion, machines obviously
present a variety of other hazards which cannot be ignored.
All power sources for machines are potential sources of danger.
When using electrically powered or controlled machines, for instance,
the equipment as well as the electrical system itself must be properly
grounded. Replacing frayed, exposed, or old wiring will also help to
protect the operator and others from electrical shocks or
electrocution. High pressure systems, too, need careful inspection
and maintenance to prevent possible failure from pulsation,
vibration, or leaks. Such a failure could cause, among other things,
explosions or flying objects.
TRAINING
•Even the most elaborate safeguarding system cannot offer effective
protection unless the worker knows how to use it and why. Specific
and detailed training is therefore a crucial part of any effort to
provide safeguarding against machine-related hazards. Thorough
operator training should involve instruction or hands-on training in
the following a description and identification of the hazards
associated with particular machines;
•the safeguards themselves, how they provide protection, and the
hazards for which they are intended;
•how to use the safeguards and why;
TRAINING
•how and under what circumstances safeguards can be removed,
and by whom (in most cases, repair or maintenance personnel only)
•what to do (e.g., contact the supervisor) if a safeguard is damaged,
missing, or unable to provide adequate protection.
•This kind of safety training is necessary for new operators and
maintenance or setup personnel, when any new or altered
safeguards are put in service, or when workers are assigned to a new
machine or operation.
Protective Clothing and Personal
Protective Equipment
• Engineering controls must be the employer's first choice for
eliminating machine hazards. But whenever engineering controls
are not available or are not fully capable of protecting the
employee (an extra measure of protection is necessary), operators
must wear protective clothing or personal protective equipment.
If it is to provide adequate protection, the protective clothing and
equipment selected must always be appropriate for the particular
hazards;
• maintained in good condition;
• properly stored when not in use, to prevent damage or loss; and
• kept clean, fully functional, and sanitary.
THANK YOU
